Bupati Bandung Barat, Jeje Ritchie Ismail, was seen checking out a landslide that occurred in Kampung Areng RT 01/11, Wangunsari Village, Lembang District on Saturday (17/5). According to Jeje, the unstable soil condition in the area was worsened by heavy rainfall over the past few days. “If you take a closer look, it’s because the soil where the houses stand is very unstable. Add to that the high rainfall, we’re asking people to stay away for now because there might be more landslides,” Jeje said after visiting the disaster site in Lembang.
Impact of the landslide that hit the area on Friday (16/5) morning is getting wider. Up to now, there have been a total of 21 houses affected by the disaster, with 4 of them suffering severe damage. “So we checked out the landslide location in Wangunsari today. Based on data from BPBD, there are 21 affected houses, including 4 heavily damaged houses and 2 moderately damaged ones,” Jeje explained. The main priority for Jeje’s team is to ensure the safety of the residents from potential follow-up landslides. They are preparing a more suitable evacuation site than the current one. “The situation is quite cramped, but the most important thing is everyone is safe for now. We will prepare a more suitable evacuation site. Fortunately, there are no casualties, just one resident with minor injuries from a collapsing building,” he added.
Meanwhile, Siti Nurjanah, one of the evacuees, mentioned that she decided to evacuate along with other residents due to the ongoing threat of follow-up landslides that could happen anytime. “Our house is already cracked and damaged, so we’re worried about staying there. That’s why we’re just evacuating for now,” Siti shared. The local authorities are working hard to ensure the safety and well-being of the affected residents, providing necessary support and resources during this challenging time.
